


Reborn

by purple_phys



Category: Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ahch-To, Gen, Jedi Angst, New Jedi Order
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-29 08:07:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13922931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purple_phys/pseuds/purple_phys
Summary: Rey feels her connection to Ahch-to calling her back after the battle of Crait. She goes back, searching for any closure around Luke Skywalker's death and also for any direction in her Jedi journey.





	Reborn

After the rebel alliance narrowly escaped the surface of Crait, the future looked bleak. General Leia still had hope, but the path towards victory was quite shrouded. After all, the whole rebellion was on one single ship.

Allies had come through with safe harbor, even if they couldn’t offer troops in battle. Planning as to recruitment was of vital import. The remaining leadership got to work. Since Rey had little political acumen, she was free to return to that island that was still haunting her dreams.  
Rey took an x-wing back to Ahch-to. She thought of taking a companion and a bigger ship, but all her companions would take it hard. Would Luke’s body need a pyre? Besides, the vague pull back was hers and hers alone.

The sky was gray when she landed on the edge of the island. The same waves Rey heard in her dreams night after night lapped at the rocks. The porgs bleated and scattered upon her arrival. After all, this human brought the Wookie last time. She climbed up the stairs to the caretakers’ village. She remembered the first time she climbed up the ancient steps, and the hope she’d felt. Hope was the gift the hermit Jedi had given them. 

Luke’s belongings were gathering dust in his hut, but he was nowhere to be found. She didn’t think he’d died here, as his few belongings were in their usual places. She thought of all the time Luke spent in the hut, on this island without other humans and without connection to the force. She understood loneliness, but not self-imposed. How much he had punished himself. The despair he must have felt to cut himself off so severely. She closed her eyes and reached out to take in the place. The waves were barely audible from here, but she could hear the caretakers about their daily work. She could sense the grass, the porgs, the fish. That dark cave was still there too, but she could resist its pull. She had resisted Ben’s pull multiple times now. She wished he could see what a small prison his uncle had chosen for himself. 

After a minute, Rey noticed one particular absence—the ancient tree. She left the village to investigate. She spotted the burned-out tree and ran to close the distance. “No, no, no” she panicked. How would the Jedi Order be reborn now? Those few texts she had pilfered were such little assistance, and some were quite cryptic. She didn’t even have a new lightsaber yet. She turned and floundered inside the tree, looking desperately for any guidance.

“I can’t do this alone” she said. She ran out of the chamber, sank to her knees and held her head in her hands. The island had never seemed so quiet. Just then, Rey heard one of the local caretakers stumbling closer with a cart. A tap on the shoulder officially alerted her to the presence. When Rey looked up, she saw the closest thing to a smile that she ever had seen from any of these creatures.

“I’m sorry, about Master Luke” she fumbled. It cocked its head to the side, and then reached back into the cart. It procured a small clay pot, and inside was a seedling. The energy was humming off this plant, life and rebirth. She saw the creation of a new order under the branches of this growing tree. The caretaker pushed it into Rey’s hands until she accepted it. She nodded her head and said “thank you,” hoping her gratitude was known. Her caretaker nodded, turned around, and headed back down the path. Warm tears of relief washed down Rey’s cheeks. This was the last thing she needed: the approval of the force itself.  
Rey clutched the pot close to her chest as she descended to her ship. The rain had stopped, and the beautiful green shone in the sun. The porgs scattered again as she passed.

“I’m not going to hurt you, you know” she snorted at them. A brave few squinted as they came to investigate her, and then went back to their business. Rey gazed hopefully at the sky, took a deep breath in, and ducked to prepare her ship for launch.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
